The Milburn Big Box Set

by Nancy McGovern

  “James, I’ll have to call you back. I have a client meeting soon,” she said.

  Catching Nora’s look as she hung up, Natalie blushed. “Don’t tell Jess, okay?” she said. “But James and I…we’re…well, this whole horrible thing sort of drew us closer. I met him for a walk in the woods a few days ago to talk and clear my mind and...we decided to start dating and see where things go. He’s such a good man, and he’s been like an emotional rock for me.”

  Nora smiled, knowing she’d witnessed the start of this particular romance. “So why don’t you want me telling Jess?” Nora asked. “Are you afraid of how she’ll react?”

  “Well, she had her heart set on James for a while,” Natalie said. “I don’t know…it’s awkward. Especially the timing. I’ll tell her when things calm down a bit. She’s a good friend - she’ll understand, of course. It’s not like she and James were an item or anything.”

  “But she had dated him.”

  “In high school.” Natalie waved it away.

  “Recently, though. Wasn’t May trying to set them up?”

  Natalie rolled her eyes. “Maybelle was a compulsive matchmaker. I don’t think either of them particularly wanted it, though James mentioned he was willing to try a few dates with Jess to see how it worked out.”

  “And Jess?” Nora asked. “Did she want it to work out, too?”

  Natalie’s face colored. “I…I’m not sure. Do you think I should call the whole thing off? I can tell James that the timing just isn’t right. I don’t want to hurt Jess...”

  “No, no. Of course not. After all, if you like James and James likes you, then everyone else has no business butting in,” Nora said. “Just…” She didn’t know what to say, really. What could she tell Natalie? That she was afraid Jess might have an obsession with James? That she was afraid James wasn’t everything he seemed to be? She opted for, “Just don’t rush into anything too soon.”

  The computer gave a loud ping, and Natalie started.

  “Ok, time for my client,” she said. “Do you mind waiting in the living room, Nora? I’ll have to shut the kitchen door while I talk in here. Just half an hour max.”

  “No problem,” Nora said. “I can read a magazine or something.”

  “Thanks,” Natalie said gratefully as Nora headed out.

  *****

  The living room had big, floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the woods behind Natalie’s house. Nora stood at them, admiring the view. Natalie’s backyard was well kept. An old bicycle leaned up against the back of the house, while a hammock that looked as though it hadn’t been used in a long time was draped between two pine trees. The living room itself had pale-yellow sofas and purple pillows with neon-green embroidery on them - a fascinating contrast. Knitting needles sat in a basket full of yarn on one side table and Nora saw a scarf that was nearly ready sitting tucked under it.

  She sat down on the sofa and picked up a Vogue magazine. Flipping through it, she could hear the muffled sound of Natalie’s voice through the kitchen door.

  The bedroom door clicked open and Jess walked out, looking bleary-eyed, with her hair sticking up at weird angles.

  “Nat?” she called out, then froze as she saw Nora sitting on the sofa.

  “Natalie’s taking a business call,” Nora said.

  “That girl works way too hard.” Jess yawned. “I told her to take a break, but she says it’s better to keep her mind off everything that’s happening.” Pausing, Jess lowered her voice. “Nora, I got a message from Brooke. Is it true? Tyler’s body...”

  Nora nodded. “It’s true.”

  “Then…he’s really the one who killed her. He killed himself out of guilt, obviously.” Tears came to Jess’s eyes. “It’s all over. Finally.” She put a hand to her eyes, then shook herself. “It’s so hard to believe.”

  “Is it?” Nora said. “It seems like it’s very easy for you to believe. Too easy, in fact.”

  “What do you mean?” Jess looked at her sharply.

  “I know about the money Maybelle lent you, Jess,” Nora said. “Why didn’t you say anything about it?”

  “The money?” Jess stared at Nora, and Nora saw that her fists were suddenly clenched.

  “Brooke told me that Maybelle lent you the money after all,” Nora said. “Right after James’s party.”

  “Well, so what?” Jess tried to look defiant.

  “So, how come nobody knew about this?” Nora asked. “You didn’t advertise it, did you?”

  “I didn’t hide it, either,” Jess shot back. “My bank account is my private business, and I didn’t want to broadcast it, that’s all. The sheriff could have checked the records any time. Besides, you were accusing me of killing her because she didn’t give me money. That doesn’t fit anymore, does it? Are you coming up with new motives to pin it on me now? What’s your game?”

  Nora shook her head. “You’ve all three been so combative since Maybelle died. I just don’t understand it. Why can’t you cooperate? Why all the secrecy and lies?”

  “You don’t get it,” Jess said. “My best friend is dead, and you stand here accusing me and my friends of murder. Why should I cooperate with you? I don’t trust you, Nora. Brooke was the one who first told me to watch out for you. And she was right. At every turn, you seem to pin suspicion on someone new, with no regards for their feelings. The other day you were accusing James, now you’re accusing me-”

  “I never accused anyone of anything,” Nora clarified sharply. “I simply asked about the holes in their stories. Take you, for example. May was your best friend, yet you feuded with her over something silly like the knitting club and told Brooke to start a mutiny. You wrote in your diary that you hated her and then tore up the page. Now you reveal that she gave you the money after all.”

  “Exactly,” Jess said. “She gave me the money and I felt ashamed of the way I’d behaved. It was a loan, of course, but still a badly needed one. I guess the prospect of having it had me so excited that when she said she might use it for a college course instead, I freaked out and behaved badly. I feuded with May, I plotted a mutiny of the knitting club with Brooke, I even wrote in my diary how I hated May. Then she turned around and told me she’d decided to give me the money after all. How do you think I felt? Like a total heel. Of course, I tore that page out of my diary so I have no idea how you even knew I did all that.”

  “When?” Nora asked.

  “Huh?”

  “When did you tear out the page in your diary?”

  “Right after she gave me the money - the day before she died,” Jess said. “I would never even have dreamed of actually hurting May.”

  Nora frowned. Something was wrong. Something that Jess was saying had sparked an idea in Nora’s brain - a vague theory, whose outline she could see stretching out in front of her. She looked at Jess, who refused to make eye contact. Could it be…?

  Nora asked brusquely. “Jess, there was something that struck me as odd the other day. You said that you saw Tyler driving toward his house at 11pm while you were walking your dog. You were the last person to supposedly see him, correct?”

  “That’s right,” Jess said.

  “But isn’t it true that there’s an entire mountain between yours and Tyler’s house? There was no reason for you to be all the way over there at 11pm that night. Was there?”

  Jess looked horrified, as though she’d been caught in another lie. Her face turned pale and her eyes skittered around the room looking for an escape.

  “Why were you in that neighborhood so late that night, Jess?” Nora asked. “Tell me the truth."

  Biting her lip, Jess said, “The real reason? James was the real reason.”

  There was a pause as Nora stared at her.

  “I know you’re going to jump to all sorts of conclusions,” Jess said. “But it’s not like that.”

  “No?” Nora stared at her. “Please, then, tell me what it is like.”

  “Cut the sarcasm, will you?” Jess groaned. “
First you barge in here when I’m not even fit for human interaction, then you barrage me with questions.”

  “Jess, I don’t think you have any idea just how serious your situation is,” Nora said. “Explain yourself.”

  “I…” Jess sighed. “I don’t know. I wanted to meet him, okay? I’ve always liked James. In fact, it was me who asked May to set us up again. He was 'the one that got away' for me. After May died, I found myself needing him again in a way that I…” She closed her eyes. “Look, I just wanted an excuse to go talk to him, and I thought walking my dog was a great excuse. That’s it.”

  “And did you talk to him?” Nora asked.

  “No,” Jess said. “I chickened out. I just stood outside his door and then walked away and just wandered. That’s when I saw Tyler rushing to his house.”

  “And did you see where he went next?” Nora asked.

  Jess turned her eyes away.

  “You did, didn’t you?” Nora asked. “Tyler went to James’s house that night.”

  “Well, I don’t…” Jess bit her lip hard. “I’m not sure. I just saw him drive in that direction. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “You didn’t tell the sheriff, did you?” Nora asked. “You just told him the part about Tyler rushing out of his house with something in his hands.”

  “I didn’t want to get James in trouble for no reason,” Jess pointed out. “Especially when I have no idea if Tyler actually went there.”

  “Oh, Tyler did more than go there,” Nora said. “Tyler punched James in the face that night.”

  “What?!” Jess put a hand to her mouth. “No!”

  “I have to leave.” Nora got up.

  The kitchen door opened and Natalie stepped out, stretching. “Finally done,” she chirped. “A happy client means a happy paycheck. What’s up with…” She looked from Nora to Jess and her happy tone changed into somberness instantly. “What are you two talking about?”

  “I need to go,” Nora said. “Thanks for everything, Natalie. Goodbye, Jess.”

  Leaving the two staring at her, Nora headed to her car. It was time to ask James some serious questions. She had a feeling that only he knew the one detail that Tyler had lacked - the detail that would pull together all the questions she had, and answer them in one horrifying shot.

  *****

  Chapter 18

  The Punch

  James’s house was where it had all begun, really. Nora thought back to the night of the party, when she’d observed May resting her head on Tyler’s shoulder. She’d had no idea back then just how immediately and urgently she’d be thrust into their drama.

  Nora parked in front of the house, gathering up her courage to go in. The memory of that day lingered on - the music, the laughter and the happiness on the faces all around her. Yet who is truly happy? Even then, someone at that party had murderous rage in their heart.

  But who?

  Through the window, Nora could see James standing by the kitchen counter, chopping something. Breakfast was underway, clearly. With a deep breath, Nora walked to the backdoor and knocked. It opened up into the kitchen, and a surprised-looking James stared at her.

  “You’re the last person I expected to see,” James said.

  “Was it Natalie you were hoping for?” Nora asked.

  James blushed. “I’m that transparent, huh?”

  “Not quite,” Nora said. “May I come in?”

  “Sure.” James moved aside and she walked into the kitchen. It was black and white tile with a small table for two in one corner and a sink full of pots and pans. James caught her gaze and his face reddened further.

  “I can be a little lazy about doing dishes," he admitted.

  The counter had a half-chopped onion, some green peppers and two eggs lying, uncracked, next to a pan.

  “Can I offer you breakfast or coffee?” James asked. “I’ll have to be quick. I have to head to work in half an hour.”

  “There’s only one thing you can offer me,” Nora said. “The truth.”

  “What?”

  “Tyler came to see you the night he disappeared.” Nora stared him down. “Didn’t he?”

  “Of course not,” James yelped. “Why would he?”

  “He’s the one who punched you,” Nora said. “That’s how you got that black eye. Isn’t that right?”

  “Y-you’re talking crazy,” James tried.

  “Am I? Do you know how easy it’ll be to find your DNA on his knuckles?” Nora asked. “I guess since you won’t admit anything, I’d best head to the sheriff.”

  “No! Wait!” James held out a hand. “Stop. Just let me think a minute. Please.”

  “You talk, and you talk now,” Nora demanded. “It’s your only chance to save yourself. What did Tyler say to you that night?”

  “He…he…” James looked miserable. “He was out of his mind, Nora. I’ve known him for years, and never seen that wild look in his eyes before. He was out for blood. He was pure fury, unleashed. I was terrified of him that night, in a way I’ve never been before.”

  “What. Did. He. Want?!” Nora thundered.

  James hung his head. “He came to confront me. He came to ask me whether I’d seen Maybelle the day she died.”

  “And had you?”

  There was a long silence. James took a deep breath and linked his hands behind his head, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he had a resigned look on his face. “Yes. I saw her the day she died.”

  Nora fell silent. She waited for James’s confession, which she knew would soon pour out. He looked almost relieved that he could finally tell someone. His face was dark with some suppressed emotion as he looked out the window, unable to meet Nora’s eyes.

  “I went to their house that day,” James explained. “Right before Natalie’s party. I wanted - no, I needed - to talk to May.”

  “What did you say to her?”

  “I confessed that I loved her,” James said. “I told her that I never got over her. I said that I knew she wouldn’t want me, but that I needed to know…why not me? Why Tyler?”

  Nora could only stare.

  “I know,” James said. “I know how pathetic I sound. I know she was married. I know Tyler was my friend. But I just…I could never get May out of my head. It was torture being friends with her. Pure torture. Believe me, I wasn’t trying to strike up an affair or anything like that. I just…I wanted closure. For so long, I’d wanted her, and I just wanted to tell her and get it over with. I didn’t care about consequences. I just wanted her to know.”

  “You’re lying,” Nora said. “Nobody makes a confession like that if some small part of them doesn’t, at least, hope to win over their love.”

  “Well, so what if I did?” James asked defiantly. “Of course some tiny part of me hoped she’d throw her arms around me and tell me she loved me, too. But I’m telling you - the rest of me knew I’d be rejected.”

  “What happened?” Nora asked.

  “What was bound to happen,” James said. “She rejected me. She told me I was an idiot and that I needed to move beyond her and find my true happiness.”

  “What did she mean?”

  “I was confused, too.” James laughed. “But Maybelle sat me down. She reminded me about high school. Jess and I were the perfect couple, but we were both immature. We were both young and in love, but we just couldn’t make it work because we couldn’t handle how big our emotions were. I was a coward then, I’ll admit it. Instead of talking out my feelings with Jess, I ran. I broke up with her. I started dating Cynthia, and half-a-dozen other girls, and then I got a crush on May.” James paused. “May said that it had always been obvious to her that I have a deep fear of commitment. Jess was the one I truly wanted back then but…I was too much of a coward to admit it. I guess maybe I feared losing her. That sounds stupid, doesn’t it? To run away from what you want because you fear losing it? But, you see, my parents were in love the same way Jess and I were, and I saw how their relationship deteriorated. I
saw how, even though they loved each other, they fought all the time and made each other’s lives a living misery. The high school me couldn’t bear to face a future like that. So I ran. I loved Jess, but she scared me, too. I guess in some ways, she still does.”

  “Go on.”

  “So, according to May, instead of facing up to my fears and working on them, I avoided Jess. I ran away and constructed a fantasy in my head about being with May, even though I knew it would never happen.”

  “Wow.”

  “She was right,” James said. “Once she said it out loud I could see it myself. It was Jess all along.”

  “You’re lying to me,” Nora said. “Even now, you’re lying. It’s Natalie you’re dating now, not Jess.”

  “No, I’m really not lying,” James said. “I would have asked Jess out that very day except…May died. And, then, Natalie came to me. She was in such need. I comforted her and, well, I don’t know. We just happened to kiss. I felt like such a jerk about it. But I couldn’t tell Natalie about my feelings for Jess - not when May’s death was so recent. I really couldn’t bear to hurt her any more than she was already hurt. So, I kept putting it off - but the time was never right. I even called her today, but then I found out about Tyler’s death and I guess I can’t tell her now, either.” James inhaled sharply then let his breath out slowly. “I’ve gotten myself into another fine mess. I don’t think Jess will ever want me back if she knows I'm dating her closest friend. I’d be lucky if she even looked in my direction again, anyway, after the way I’ve treated her.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?” Nora looked into his eyes, believing him for the first time.

  “Of course, I am,” James said.

  “But Tyler…why did he punch you?”

  “Well, wouldn’t you punch the guy who propositioned your murdered wife?” James asked. “The second I opened the door, he punched me in the face. He told me to confess that I’d seen May that day. He said he knew everything. He said he knew I’d confessed my love to her.” James shook his head. “To be honest, I was petrified. I thought he was going to kill me. I truly did.”